US to suspend visa interviews in Vietnam during Covid-19 strike

The changes were a response to the "evolving new coronavirus situation," according to an announcement on the Embassy's official website. All appointments from March 19 onwards have been canceled, it said.

New appointments for non-immigrant visa applicants will be opened as soon as the Embassy and Consulate General could manage, while urgent cases could contact the Embassy and Consulate directly, it said.

Visa processing procedures for immigrant visa applicants would resume at a future notice, and rescheduling would be possible for those who have already missed previously scheduled appointments, it added.

Vietnam has so far confirmed 68 Covid-19 cases, with 16 already cured and discharged. The latest case is an American man who arrived in Da Nang in central Vietnam last Saturday.

The U.S. has recorded over 6,500 cases with 116 deaths so far. With cases of the respiratory illness reported in all 50 states, millions of Americans have hunkered down at home instead of commuting to work or going to school.

The Covid-19 pandemic has spread to 167 countries and territories, claiming nearly 8,000 lives.